


How to Do Serious

by LeChatRouge673



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 02:37:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: My Christmas gift to my best friend, @missragdoll84, who requested Cullen x Belle in my canon verse. God Jul, gumman! <3 <3 <3





	How to Do Serious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miss_ragdoll84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_ragdoll84/gifts).



“So. Are we going to talk about it, or will you be spending another day brooding in your office, Ser?”

Cullen tore his eyes away from his reports long enough to spare a glare for Knight-Captain Rylen. The man was a good second-in-command, and an even better friend, but that familiarity bred a certain insouciance that was not doing him any favors at the moment. “To what are you referring, Rylen?”

The other man gave him a wry smile. “She’s been down at the training ring every day this week, and even though she hasn’t said a word to the rest of us, we all know who she’s looking for. How long, exactly, do the two of you plan on dancing around the issue before you admit you’re gone for one another?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Cullen stared at him flatly, but they both knew it for the lie it was. He’d been torturing himself all week avoiding her, but facing her meant having discussions he wasn’t ready to have, and not just the ones about his feelings for her.

Rylen just shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Cullen, I’ve seen you face down far more terrifying creatures than a beautiful young woman. Are you afraid of her brother, or her cousin? Because I’ll grant you, the Inquisitor is not a woman I’d be eager to cross.”

“Andraste preserve me, I had not even considered that,” Cullen sighed. Theadosia Trevelyan was a force of nature unto herself; a storm that had reluctantly settled into a holding pattern in order to lead the Inquisition. Despite her arguments to the contrary, she was proving to be a natural leader, and Cullen privately suspected that she’d learned governance from more than just her adopted parents, Bryce and Eleanor Cousland, before their tragic murders. But it was not the vivacious redhead that had stolen his attention. Instead, it was her cousin on her natural father’s side: Isobel Trevelyan.

If Thea was the storm, Belle was the sunburst that came after it. Kind and sweet natured but feisty when she had a mind to be, with eyes that sparkled like ice in the sun and hair that shone like daybreak on a bright winter morning. Her brother, Bjørn, had been stationed in Starkhaven with Rylen and had followed his commanding officer first to Kirkwall, and then to the Inquisition. Belle had followed shortly thereafter, trying to track down her ‘missing’ brother. Mia would have approved, no doubt.

Once she’d arrived, Belle had decided to stay. There was no shortage of work to be done around Skyhold, and Thea had not seemed terribly inclined to turn her away. While he had not taken any particular interest in her at the start, Cullen had found himself more and more taken by their new recruit, often seeking her out at mealtimes and making a point of overseeing many of her training sessions himself. To his chagrin, his attentions had not gone entirely unnoticed: Rylen often gave him a knowing grin when he was present at one of their sparring bouts, and Thea just seemed amused by the whole thing, though she never breathed a word of it to anyone. To be fair, she did not speak much to any of them beyond Dorian and Leliana and Varric, but for once Cullen was grateful for her reserved nature.

Belle was a fast learner: she’d had some little experience fighting when she had arrived, but she had certainly been no warrior, and he sure as the void would never have allowed her out into the field without proper training even if she wasn’t the Inquisitor’s cousin. The young woman had proven fairly adept at fighting, however, and while he wouldn’t count her amongst his most skilled recruits, she certainly wasn’t amongst the bottom group either. With a few more years of training and practice she could have probably surpassed even his best. Time was not a luxury they possessed, though, and he knew that Belle had been itching to get into the field to test her skills.

Cullen was reluctant to let her do so, and he knew all too well why.

It had been years since he had felt anything even faintly resembling what he felt now, and that fact alone terrified him. There had been youthful infatuations, and even he had not been above seeking physical comfort from time to time, but it had never evolved into anything serious. He was a soldier and, more problematically, an ex-templar. Very, very few people knew that he had cut himself off from lyrium, but Belle was one of the few people he had trusted with that secret. She had been supportive, and more than once had been at his side during a particularly nasty withdrawal episode with a cool, damp cloth for his head and soothing words for his heart. It was during one of those episodes when, before he could realize the implications of his action, he had taken her hand in his own, gripping it tightly as a pain washed over him.

It was in that moment, when she held his hand just as tightly as he held hers, that he realized he was in love. And _that_ was going to be a problem. For one thing, she was a lady of a Marcher house, and his only title was that which had been given to him by the Inquisition. Second, they were in the middle of a maker-damned war. It was not exactly the best time to be pursuing a serious relationship with anyone when there were no guarantees regarding their survival. And aside from all that… Cullen was not even certain he knew _how_ to do serious, and Belle deserved nothing less.

“You can’t keep treating her like she’s got the damned blight, Cullen,” Rylen prodded, but his voice was not unkind. “It’s obvious to the rest of us that the two of you are over the moon for each other, so why not just tell her how you feel and have a go of it? Would it be so awful for the two of you to find love in the midst of all this chaos?”

“Rylen, we’re in the middle of a _war_ ,” Cullen reminded him, as if it were not already abundantly obvious. “This is not exactly the time for me to be… courting… a woman. Especially a woman of Belle’s status. For all I know she’s already betrothed to some Marcher nobleman back home who is waiting for her to come to her senses and return home.”

“She isn’t, you know.”

Cullen and Rylen looked up to see Theadosia Trevelyan leaning against the door frame, one perfectly manicured brow arched over her storm blue eyes and a small half smile playing across her lips. The woman was damned quiet when she had a mind to be, which was more often than not, and rumor had it that she had trained with Leliana Nightingale herself following the blight. When she spoke again, she did not bother hiding the amusement in her tone.

“Isobel is the youngest of three children and the only daughter. I did not know her much growing up, seeing as how I moved to Highever when I was seven and she had not yet even been born, but I know that she was doted on by her father and brothers, especially since the poor girl never knew her mother. From what Bjørn has told me he and Charlie have always been a bit overprotective of her, and William Trevelyan was never going to make his daughter marry anyone she did not want to. Lucky girl. So unless Belle was hiding some lover from the rest of her family,” Thea paused, her smile widening just slightly, “Doubtful, then she is completely unattached.”

“And still of noble birth,” Cullen pointed out drily.

“As if that matters a damn bit to any of us,” Thea rolled her eyes. “You know who my cousin Cataline married, yes? And don’t even get me started on the Hawke branch of the family tree.”

“Which leads one to wonder how you’ve managed to remain unattached,” Rylen teased with an utter lack of deference, knowing that his Starkhaven brogue would allow him to get away with it. “What would it take to tame the Inquisitor’s heart, I wonder?”

Cullen could swear he saw a shadow pass over Thea’s eyes, but she masked it with a rare grin. She dropped a kiss on Rylen’s cheek before replying, “More than any sane man or woman should ever have to pay. Now come on,” she sauntered out of his office in the direction of the training grounds. “Commander, you are going to come out and review the troops. I received word from Nora,” Thea stopped and corrected herself, but it was not the first time she had made the slip, and Cullen wondered exactly how well the Inquisitor knew the queen of Ferelden, “from _Queen_ Anora about some red lyrium smugglers on the Storm Coast. I intend to remind them who this land belongs to and I intend to take the best soldiers we have to secure the area. Your input would be appreciated.”

“As you say, Inquisitor,” Cullen nodded his head, but he could see Rylen grinning out of the corner of his eye. He spared one final glare for the other man before they both followed Thea out into the bright sunlight.

  

* * *

 

 

Belle Trevelyan took a deep breath, trying to focus on her opponent, but her mind was elsewhere. She blocked the other recruit’s first blow with ease, letting it glance off her shield without allowing her arm to absorb too much of the blow, but it was a much nearer thing than it should have been. Fortunately, she was then able to take advantage of the man’s surprise at her own distraction, and knocked him neatly to the ground before he could recover. The other recruits gathered around the sparring ring applauded and cheered, and she flashed them a brilliant smile before stepping forward and helping her opponent stand. He congratulated her on a match well fought, then left the ring.

“Well done,” a quiet voice spoke up from the crowd, and the gathered recruits parted to allow Theadosia Trevelyan to step forward. Belle was still slightly intimidated by her cousin; she couldn’t help it really. Thea was older than her by fifteen years and was the scion of the vast Cousland Trevelyan shipping empire. Together she and her sister, Margot, and her cousin, Cataline Howe, controlled most of the imports and exports of southern Thedas. Now, as if that were not enough, Thea was the leader of the Inquisition: the fabled Herald of Andraste. Still, the other woman had been nothing but kind to Belle since she had arrived, and she had even convinced her brother that she should be allowed to stay despite his protestations.

“You have learned remarkably quickly, haven’t you?” Thea offered a small half smile as she approached. “Your father will be proud. How much time have you spent in the field?”

Belle frowned slightly in confusion. “I… I haven’t, your Worship. I have not left Skyhold since I arrived.”

Thea sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose briefly. “Alright, first of all, you _know_ how I feel about that title, especially given that we’re kin. Second, what do you mean you haven’t been in the field? You are an excellent fighter. If I had been paying proper attention I would have requested you weeks ago.”

“Well, that is…” Belle’s attention was caught by the appearance of Knight-Captain Rylen, who offered her a friendly smile, and by the man who followed immediately behind him.

_Cullen_.

The commander of the Inquisition’s armies had been a distraction from the moment she had met him. What had started out as a fiercely burning infatuation had deepened the more time they had spent together. In fact, Belle had been begun making more and more excuses to show up in places where he was likely to be in and, much to her surprise, he always seemed almost pleased by her presence. She was still a little bemused that he paid any attention to her at all, given everything that was happening around them at any given time and the number of beautiful and talented women he worked and spoke with on a daily basis, but she liked to believe that, if nothing else, they had become friends.

The fact that she secretly, desperately wished they could be more than friends was something she just had to keep locked up in her heart.

“Commander Cullen.” Thea’s well-cultured voice held a surprisingly sharp edge, drawing Belle abruptly back to the present. “Belle has informed me that she has not been allowed to participate in any field missions. Would you care to explain why? Has her conduct somehow been unsatisfactory? I would find that incredibly hard to believe, especially given the performance I just witnessed.”

Belle glanced over at Cullen, and his golden eyes met hers briefly before he replied. “Lady Trevelyan has proven to be an exception student, Lady Inquisitor. I simply believe that she would benefit from further training before she is sent out into the field.”

“I was not aware we had the luxury of such time, Commander,” Thea replied coolly. “Are you not the one who is constantly reminding me that we are fighting a war on multiple fronts? Insisting that we need to pour more efforts into recruitment and training?”

“Cullen…er, Commander?” Belle spoke up quietly, taking a step closer to him. “I joined the Inquisition because I want to help: I want to fight. I believe in this cause, and I believe in my cousin, and I believe in you. Should I not have the same right to fight and, yes, possibly die for the world and people I care about?”

“Belle,” Cullen’s voice was hoarse and low, and the other recruits made a show of looking away but she knew they were all still listening intently. “It is not that simple. If something happened to you…”

“Something could happen to any of us,” Belle interrupted gently. “Including me or you, or Thea or Rylen or any of us.”

“Belle, I need a contingent of soldiers to go secure the area around a red templar stronghold on the Storm Coast,” Thea addressed her directly. “Do you feel like you are prepared to go?”

Belle took a deep breath, then faced Thea’s gaze directly. “I am, Lady Inqui- Thea. I want to go and help.”

Her cousin almost smiled. “That is what I thought. Be ready to leave in two days time.”

“Absolutely not!”

Both women turned to face Cullen, who was glaring at Thea furiously. “I told you, Lady Inquisitor, Lady Trevelyan _is not ready_. You would be sending her straight to her death.”

Thea did not seem overly perturbed by Cullen’s outburst, but Belle could see sparks flashing behind her otherwise steady gaze. “Knight-Captain Rylen?”

“Yes, my Lady?” The other man spoke up uncertainly, and Belle knew he probably realized he was about to be thrown between a lion and a tigress.

“Do you agree with Commander Cullen’s assessment? Is Belle too weak and inexperienced to participate in direct fighting?”

Rylen gave a long sigh, then shot Belle an appraising glance. “I respect the Commander’s opinion, my Lady,” he replied carefully.

Thea gave him a small smile. “But you do not agree with it.”

“I do not. Lady Trevelyan has more than proven her mettle and if she is willing to fight for us, I would say that we would be fools to stop her.”

Cullen turned his ire towards his second-in-command but before he could berate the poor man, Belle spoke up. “I appreciate that, Knight-Captain,” she said gratefully, “And I promise I will do my best to do you all proud.”

“No,” Cullen shook his head stubbornly. “Lady Inquisitor, I must protest.”

“Oh what grounds?” Thea asked, her chin lifted in defiance.

“She… I…” Cullen threw up his hands in frustration. “I would not see her throw away her life needlessly!”

This seemed to spark something in Thea, and Belle took a step back as her cousin stepped closer to Cullen, rage written on her features. “ _Needlessly_? You think I am so eager to send my kin off to their death? Perhaps you simply do not see the red templars as a real problem, Commander. Is that it? I would think you would be a bit more eager to end the threat to your former brothers and sisters.”

“Thea, that’s not fair,” Belle laid a hand on Thea’s shoulder, but the other woman seemed not to notice. The argument had drawn quite a bit of attention; the recruits were not even pretending to attempt discretion anymore, and were openly watching as the Inquisitor and the Commander squared off. Even Leliana and Josephine had heard the commotion and come down from the keep.

“Do you or do you not trust me with your army, Inquisitor,” Cullen growled through gritted teeth. “If you do not, I suggest you find someone to replace me. Otherwise, I would hope you would respect my judgement.”

“Have I ever questioned it before?” Thea shot back. “You are blinded by your own feelings, Commander.”

“And what would you know of it?” Belle started a bit as Cullen finally shouted at Thea. “You have no idea what it’s like to send someone you love into danger! To not know if they’ll come back to you alive!”

The silence fell over the training grounds was deafening in its profoundness, save for the sudden and intense beating of Belle’s heart that she was certain everyone else on the field would be able to hear. _Someone you love…_ Those had been his exact words. Could that possibly mean…

To her surprise, Cullen’s words seemed to have wounded Thea deeply. When she looked at the other woman, she still held her perfect, commanding posture, but the rage had burned out of her eyes to be replaced by a deep, searing hurt. Without another word, the Inquisitor turned and strode off in the opposite direction.

“Thea, I-” Cullen called after her, but it was too late. The recruits began to filter away, speaking in low murmurs. Belle could tell by the pained look on Cullen’s face that he had not meant what he said, but something in his words had touched a nerve deep within Thea’s soul. Josephine stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Leliana just stared at him. When the spymaster spoke, her words held an edge sharper than any of her blades.

“You know nothing, Cullen. And certainly nothing of what the Inquisitor has sacrificed for us.” And with that, the other woman slipped away to follow her friend.

Belle glanced at Cullen, but he was refusing to meet her eyes. With a quiet sigh, she shook her head. “I will go talk to her. But, Commander?” He finally looked up to meet her gaze. “I really do need to do this; to fight. And I need you to believe I can.”

 

* * *

 

 

She found Thea sitting against the highest battlements surrounding Skyhold, speaking quietly with Leliana. When the spymaster saw Belle approach, she offered her a rare smile and stood, allowing her to take her place by Thea. The Inquisitor was toying with a golden locket that hung on a delicate chain around her neck and was joined by what Belle could only assume was a beautiful wedding ring set with sapphires in various hues. She had never seen either the locket or the ring before, but suddenly a great deal more made sense.

“How long?” She asked quietly.

Thea gazed out over the snow covered valley, her eyes fixed on some unknown point in the distance. “It has been six months since I last had word from my husband,” she replied in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “It is, I’m afraid, the price I pay for marrying a grey warden. I knew the risks when I made my choice eight years ago, but… I suppose I always thought I would know if something happened. Now, I know nothing. I do not know if he is dead, or if he is hurt, or captured, or worse. I had hoped that… that his daughter might have had word, but she has not either. So you see,” she gave Belle a bitter smile, “I understand better than our dear Commander thinks I do.”

“Oh Thea,” Belle wrapped her arms around her cousin before the other woman could protest. “I’m so sorry. This must be awful for you.”

“He would expect me to accept my responsibilities,” Thea sighed. “I would just as soon be out looking for him; looking for _answers_ , but I know my place is here.” She paused, then looked at Belle. “You are the only one who knows, besides Leliana and Dorian. I would prefer to keep it that way, for the time being. At least until… until I know. One way or the other.”

Belle nodded earnestly. “Of course, Thea. Not a word.”

“Thank you,” the other woman managed a small smile. They sat quietly for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts until Thea finally spoke again. “You really ought to tell him how you feel, you know.”

Belle could feel the color rising in her cheeks, and she stared at the ground in front of her to avoid looking at Thea. “I am not certain I know what you mean.”

“Bullshit,” Thea laughed drily. “You two are the most stubborn people I have ever met, which is saying something. Or at least, you are when it comes to your feelings which, again, is saying something. You are head over heels for that man. You have been ever since you showed up and he gave you that smile that seems to make every other woman in the camp swoon.”

“But not you, I take it?” Belle asked with a tiny grin, and Thea shrugged.

“No, I’ve always preferred my men and women with a bit more… bite to them, I suppose,” she gave a small chuckle. “And a bit darker. He’s too pretty.”

“ _I_ happen to think he is quite handsome,” Belle replied primly, and Thea actually laughed at that.

“Yes, so I gathered. The poor man has been beating them away with a stick ever since he took command of the army. And yet the one woman he seems drawn to is the one who never threw herself at him.” She turned and looked at Belle, one brow raised neatly over eyes that almost seemed to be laughing.

“I cannot imagine that Commander Cullen has taken any particular notice of me beyond our friendship,” Belle replied carefully. “I cannot imagine any reason why he would.”

“Because you’re drop dead gorgeous and he’s not blind,” Thea retorted archly. “You are kind and loyal and sweet natured, but you have a fierceness to you that comes out in battle. You have the patience to see him through his worst days and the compassion to still love him despite his past and his flaws. It is obvious to everyone else here that the two of you care for each other. I just happen to know better than most how very precious the time you have together is.”

“Thea, I-”

“There you are!” Varric’s voice called from around the corner. “Teddy Girl. Butterfly.” He nodded to Thea and Belle in turn, and Belle noticed that Thea had surreptitiously slipped her locket and wedding ring back beneath her blouse. “Listen, your Inquisitorialness, there is someone here you will probably want to talk to. I reached out to some old contacts, called in a few favors, and I think I have someone who may be able to help with our current crisis.”

“Varric, I’m not certain I am up for meeting any new friends just at the moment,” Thea sighed.

“Well, see, that’s the thing,” Varric shuffled on his feet, looking uncharacteristically abashed. “You wouldn’t actually be _meeting_ them, exactly…”

Thea and Belle stared at him for a moment, and then without warning a smile broke across Thea’s face. “Damn it. _Ven_.” She leapt up and started running down the battlements. As she left, she called back over her shoulder.

“ _Talk to him, Belle_.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Mind if I join you?”

The quiet, musical tones of her voice nearly made him jump out of his seat. Cullen glanced up in time to see Belle gracefully slip into the seat opposite of him. He had been sitting alone in the tavern for the past hour, trying to give Thea enough time to let her temper cool before he attempted an apology. “I assume our fearless leader is still ready to send me packing?” The joke was a poor one, and they both knew it.

“No,” Belle shook her head, sending her long blonde braid tumbling over her shoulder. “She’s upset, but I understand better now why, and why what you said cut her so deeply.”

Cullen breathed a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I should not have said what I said. At least…”

“At least not the part about her not understanding?” Belle smiled gently, and he knew that she had heard what he had uttered in the heat of anger. The truths that he had spoken that he could not take back, even if he had wanted to. And he was not at all certain that he did.

He nodded. “That part I did not mean. Leliana is right: I have no idea who Thea was before she came here, or what she has lost or sacrificed. All I could think about was… was what I stood to lose.”

“Cullen,” her voice was soft, and she reached a hand out to lightly place over his own. Without taking the time to question his decision, he wrapped his fingers around her smaller ones, taking a moment to center himself in the comforting gesture. “We don’t have to talk about it now, if you aren’t ready.”

“I-” He paused. _Was he ready_? Apparently the rest of the world knew how he felt about Belle Trevelyan, including Belle herself now that he had let his feelings slip in front of her. Rylen had been badgering him about it for weeks now, and even Leliana had been making the occasional ‘innocent’ comment. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind or his heart that he loved Belle. But it was more complicated than that.

“Things are chaotic, right now,” he sighed. “We are still trying to rebuild Skyhold into something defensible, we know almost nothing about our enemy, and while we have had a steady stream of new recruits, almost none of them have any real combat experience or training. Not all of them came to me so quick to learn as you, I’m afraid.” She offered him a small smile, her cheeks coloring slightly at the compliment, and he drew courage from the gesture. “You asked me once, if Templars are expected to take vows of chastity along with everything else they expect from us, and I told you they did not. What I did not tell you was that I never expected the issue to come up: I will admit to a few youthful infatuations when I was younger, but I never felt so strongly about anyone that I ever thought to use the word ‘love.’”

“You used it today easily enough,” Belle replied, the slightest hint of teasing in her voice, and Cullen couldn’t help but offer a small smile in return.

“I suppose I did. But, Belle…” he tried to think of the best way to frame what he wanted to say next. “My feelings towards you… that is not how I wanted you to find out. I did not want those words to be tainted with anger or frustration, and I wanted them to be directed at you rather than as something implied.”

She squeezed his hand carefully. “Cullen, to be honest, I am still a bit in shock that you feel anything towards me at all, beyond friendship, or perhaps the concern any good commander would feel towards their soldiers. I thought, with most of the women in the camp fawning over you, there was no particular reason you should ever take notice of me.”

Cullen stared at her, the dim light of the tavern lending an almost ethereal glow to her hair and making her eyes shimmer. Her smile was sweet, but beyond the surface her gaze promised so much more. Heart and soul, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever known in his life. “Are you serious? Apparently everyone else in the entire keep knew how I felt about you, and I was certain you must know as well.”

Belle giggled softly. “I am afraid I was utterly oblivious. I usually am about these things, at least when it comes to my own life. For that matter, however, how was it not just _painfully_ obvious to you how I felt? Thea said much the same thing: the entire keep knew.”

“You’re joking,” he chuckled. “You would think one of us would be better at this…”

“Perhaps it is not so surprising that neither of us is,” she shrugged.  

“Perhaps not. I suppose we could always pretend that this afternoon never happened. Try to do things properly, maybe?”

Her answering smile was brilliant. “I would like that very much, Cullen. _After_ I return from the Storm Coast.”

Cullen took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I do not suppose there is any way I could persuade you to change your mind?

“I’m afraid not,” Belle shook her head. “This is important to me, Cullen. I need you to understand that if we… if we are going to take this any further.”

He nodded slowly. “Yes. I know. And I think I do.” Cullen reached over and took her other hand in his, holding them both tightly and meeting her gaze. “You will be careful?”

“Always,” she promised. She tentatively reached out a hand and placed it carefully against his cheek. “I will come home, Cullen.”

“You know, the way you say it, I believe you,” he smiled.

The peace of the moment was broken when Varric entered the tavern and spotted them in the corner. “Curly, Butterfly,” he nodded. “Change of plans: the Inquisitor wants the Storm Coast party to delay their departure by two more days. Whatever Ven said about her warden contact, Thea’s got it in her head now to go to the village of Crestwood up north first, then swing through the coast before coming back.”

Cullen frowned slightly. “Hawke is here? Does Cassandra know?”

“Hawke?” Belle raised an eyebrow in his direction.

“Old friend,” Cullen chuckled. “And Thea’s… what, first cousin once removed, on her mother’s side?”

“Yeah, I don’t try and think about it too hard,” Varric grimaced. “And no, our illustrious Seeker has not exactly been informed yet. I’m hoping to get a head start before she does. In any case,” he turned back to Belle, “Looks like either way you’re getting an extra few days’ reprieve.” He turned and slipped back out of the bar, glancing furtively around and probably hoping to avoid Cassandra.

Cullen shook his head with a small grin, but when he looked back to Belle he noticed that she suddenly looked thoughtful. Her eyes met his, and when she spoke her voice held a curious blend of hope and uncertainty.

“Well, since we have some unexpected time… perhaps we can take a walk? There is a lovely view from the ramparts that I am particularly fond of. And I thought that maybe… maybe we could talk?”

He took a deep breath, and then stood and allowed her to precede him out the door.

“I would like that.”

 


End file.
